Calculations of electron transport and rate coefficients in a uniform nitrogen plasma

Conference · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5286725

Pitchford, L C; Phelps, A V; Yoshida, S

Using a recently developed method for a multi-term spherical harmonic expansion solution of the Boltzmann equation, we evaluate the accuracy of various previously applied approxiamtions for the calculation of swarm coefficients in the example of N/sub 2/ up to relatively high values of E/N, the ratio of the applied electric field strength to the neutral density. In particular, the effects of the two-term approximation and the conventional two-term derived equations, anisotropic scattering cross sections, and energy partitioning between the two electrons exiting from an ionization event are evaluated. The purpose in this work was to develop guidelines for delineating conditions under which the conventional calculations of swarm coefficients in a molecular gas are valid.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Joint Inst. for Lab. Astrophysics, Boulder, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5286725
• Report Number(s): SAND-82-1189C; CONF-820821-1; ON: DE82015419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640420* -- Fluid Physics-- Properties & Structure of Fluids-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
IONIZATION
LEPTONS
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SCATTERING